Wind Spirit

Wind Spirit is a motor-sailing yacht used as a cruise ship by Windstar Cruises. Built in 1988, it belongs to a distinctive group of three modern cruise vessels designed to combine conventional powered cruising with the visual and operational characteristics of a sailing ship. The related vessels are Wind Star, Wind Spirit, and Wind Song. Wind Spirit is notable for carrying four masts and an elaborate computer-controlled sail system, an unusual configuration among contemporary cruise ships. Unlike a traditional sailing vessel, Wind Spirit was designed as a purpose-built modern cruise ship. Its sailing equipment is integrated with mechanical propulsion and automated controls, allowing the ship to operate as a cruise vessel while also using its sails when conditions permit. This hybrid design forms the core of the ship's identity and differentiates it from standard motor-driven cruise ships and from historic sailing ships converted for tourism. The vessel operates under the Windstar Cruises brand, whose fleet identity has been associated with smaller ships and sailing-oriented cruising. Wind Spirit's compact yacht-like format supports an experience centered on the ship's sailing character rather than the scale and mass-market facilities of large cruise liners. Public reference material identifies the ship as part of Windstar's cruise fleet, but does not provide sufficient verified information here about its current itineraries, technical specifications, ownership structure, passenger capacity, or recent commercial developments.

Wind Spirit was built in 1988 as a modern cruise ship with an integrated sailing system. Its design formed part of a small class of three related motor-sailing vessels: Wind Star, Wind Spirit, and Wind Song. The vessels were conceived to provide the amenities and operational capabilities of a contemporary cruise ship while preserving the appearance and experience associated with sailing yachts. Wind Spirit's defining technical feature is its arrangement of four masts fitted with computer-controlled sails. The automated system allows the sails to be managed as part of the ship's operating equipment rather than requiring the vessel to function like a traditional manually sailed ship. Mechanical propulsion remains central to the ship's cruise-ship role, while the sailing equipment provides an additional mode of travel and a distinctive onboard experience. The ship subsequently sailed for Windstar Cruises, becoming part of the company's sailing-cruise fleet. Its identity is closely tied to the operator's use of smaller vessels and sailing themes. In contrast with large contemporary cruise liners, Wind Spirit presents itself as a yacht-like ship whose design and onboard proposition emphasize intimacy, maneuverability, and the spectacle of sailing. The available reference material identifies Wind Spirit as a sailing cruise ship operated by Windstar Cruises and records its 1988 construction. It does not establish a complete chronology of ownership changes, refits, route deployments, passenger capacity, technical specifications, or current itinerary schedules. Those details are therefore not included as verified facts in this entry.

• 1988

  Construction of Wind Spirit

  [1]Wind Spirit (ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Wind Spirit was built as a modern motor-sailing cruise ship, joining a distinctive three-vessel class equipped with four masts and computer-controlled sails.

• Operation by Windstar Cruises

  [1]Wind Spirit (ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Wind Spirit became part of the Windstar Cruises fleet and operated as a sailing-oriented cruise ship.

A small-ship cruise experience built around the distinctive appeal of a modern motor-sailing yacht.

• Motor-sailing cruise ship · 1988

  Wind Spirit

  Wind Spirit is a purpose-built cruise ship combining mechanical propulsion with a prominent sailing system. It carries four masts and computer-controlled sails, giving it the appearance and operating character of a modern sailing yacht while retaining the capabilities of a powered cruise vessel. The ship is used for Windstar Cruises' small-ship, sailing-oriented cruise offering.

1. 1Wind Spirit (ship)en.wikipedia.org